After repeated attempts to contact Rogersville city officials with the intention of asking when they might find time, amongst all of their tax raisin’ and salary negotiatin’ duties, to officially opt out of Tennessee’s new park carry law, I received no reply. Or I missed the reply.
Then, Pop forwarded me this NRA alert.
URGENT: Rogersville Tennessee is Attempting to Opt-Out of
New Park Carry Law!
Several Tennessee counties and municipalities have started the process to opt-out of the new park carry law before its effective date (Tuesday, September 1). The City of Rogersville is considering opting out of the new law and will formally consider a proposal to do so soon.
On Tuesday, July 14 at 7:00 p.m., the Rogersville City Council will consider a park carry opt-out resolution. This resolution, if passed, would prohibit law-abiding permit holders from carrying a firearm for self-defense in local parks within city limits. This meeting is open to the public, so we encourage you to attend in support of our Second Amendment rights. All those who wish to speak in front of the Council, may do so at the beginning of the meeting. Please get there early. The Rogersville City Council will discuss the proposal, and may follow-up with a motion to opt out of your right to carry in Rogersville’s parks. Click here to see a list of Rogersville parks.
The list will include the Rogersville City Park and the Swift Mini Park, which is basically a picnic spot w/ playground equipment where you can stand on one side and spit on the other.
Both are managed and maintained the by the Rogersville City Parks and Recreation Department. The majority of programs offered by the park department are youth-oriented. These include rec. sport leagues, holiday activities for children and the city pool. They also offer a stage area and other rental facilities, where Rook tournaments, pickin’ and grinnin’ events, birthday parties and family reunions are held.
There’s little or no danger of being attacked by bears or other wild critters in these spots – unless a circus wagon breaks down on the highway and the animals escape. Otherwise, the only thing one might need to defend themselves against would an aggressive goose at the duck pond, vicious Soccer Moms armed with Vera Bradley purses, the occasional hot-headed little league coach… or zombies. (The City park is bordered by a cemetery. In the event that a toxin or man-made infection is released on the city OR Alderwoman Ann Howe starts practicing Haitian voodoo, thereby reanimating the dead, zombies might be a concern.)
Folks, I’m a gun owner. Hell, I’m a gun lover. I am also a strong defender of Second Amendment rights – yep, another one of those “pry it out of my cold, dead hands” types. But before all else, I am a mother, a volunteer and an advocate for the children of this community.
While I’d like to believe that only the most responsible gun owners would be packing heat at the T-ball games – you know to pick off the zombies, I sincerely doubt it would happen this way.
My husband and I are very involved with the local AYSO region. We have also participated or volunteered in most programs offered by the city. Over the years, we’ve dealt with our share of negative sideline behaviors, angry spectators, verbal disputes that have escalated to shoving matches or fist fights, and the occasional group teen vandals. We know firsthand that even the most responsible, level-headed person can become completely irrational if they feel their child has been attacked or treated unfairly by another adult.
I can also tell you that approaching these people to discuss a behavior they need to curtail, particularly when they’re already angry, is scary enough without adding firearms to the mix.
Therefore, I fully support the proposal to opt out. I’d also remind Pop and his cronies that their grandchildren play baseball, softball, soccer, tag and pin the tail on the donkey in that park. So, for me, this isn’t a battle against the conservatives and the others or government versus the common man.
It’s about common sense, the safety and welfare of children and making sure that my ass doesn’t take a bullet when I have to calmly approach the Dad, who just threw his chair across the field and threated to assault the opposing coach, or the opposing coach, who yelled back: “Yeah, Bring It Fatass!”… right before she flipped him the middle finger.
Tags: AYSO, BMA, carry laws, common sense, firearms, NRA, opt-out, Rogersville, sideline behavior, youth sports
